In an appearance to the apostles after the resurrection, Jesus turns to Simon Peter and asks him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” (Jn 21,15) Simon takes this as a simple question and so offers a simple affirmation, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” However, to Jesus, this is not a simple question and it requires more than a simple affirmation. Jesus asks this question three times, which distresses Peter. Jesus is leading Peter into a deeper understanding of love and the place that the Spirit of love must occupy in our hearts. Jesus is not just curiously quizzing Peter on the feelings that he has for Jesus. He is trying to determine Peter’s availability to love. The “these” that Jesus is referring to are all the obstacles that cause resistance within us to fully giving our selves in love. The “these” are the affairs of the world and the demands they place upon us. The “these” are our own plans and desires in life. The “these” are our woundedness that hardens our hearts and encloses us within a protective shield. Jesus is asking Peter if he has room for Love to dwell in his heart, if he has room for Jesus. He is asking Peter if his heart is available to become the new dwelling place for the Spirit of the Father and the Son to dwell in love.

Making room. Love requires us to make room in our lives for an other. That other may be a new friend, it may be a new spouse or it may be a family member, perhaps an elderly parent. Usually this “making room” is not a simple, temporary adjustment. Sacrifices need to be made. New space needs to be obtained. There needs to be some cleaning and some healing. For Simon Peter, the “making room” was for the Spirit that Jesus would send that would be the permanent indwelling presence of Jesus with Peter always. “And behold, I am with you always until the end of the age.” (Mt 28,20) Jesus has promised to ask the Father to send this Advocate, “and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” (Jn 14,16f)

Too often our hearts are otherwise occupied and unable to receive the gift that the Father wants to send us. Our hearts can be self-occupied, full of doubt, hardened by sin or too busy with the affairs of the world. We need a new heart that is free to receive the gift of God. God has already promised us this new heart through the prophet Ezekiel, “I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees.” (Ez 36,26f) Jesus reveals to us, “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” (Jn 14,20f) The Father will give us a new heart and a new spirit to live the new life of love that the Spirit brings us. This new love is infinite and eternal and requires our total availability.
“Do you love me?” Not a simple question. If we love Jesus then we will observe his new commandment of love and service and we will begin a new life, with a new heart and a new spirit. As St. Peter will exhort us in his letter to the Church, “Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence…” (1Pt 3,15) The reason for our hope is the indwelling presence of God through his Spirit of truth and love.

God does not want to dwell in a tent, or a temple – he wants to dwell in our hearts! Our hearts need to be sanctified and made new so that they are a suitable dwelling place for God. He doesn’t want to dwell in our hearts as one thing among many things, he doesn’t want to sleep on the couch, he wants to be at the center of our lives. Jesus is coming and he is staying. The unclean spirits need to come out so that our hearts will be made new and available to the indwelling Holy Spirit. He has a gift to bring to us and that gift is joy, peace and hope.